Be who you are!

I find it very interesting that a two year old girl can tell a 330 pound tattooed man to put on his princess crown and he does, at least he should. God tells us that we are royal children and yet we refuse to wear our crown. Galatians 4:7 says, "So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." Heir to His thrown!!

Sometimes it is easy for us to listen to people in this world, whether we love them or despise them, and let them dictate who we are or should be. Why is it that we are so willing to accept the perceptions of a person but unable to focus on the amazing reality that we are royal children?

I love playing with my niece Kenley and yes she does often have me wrapped around her little finger, as seen below, but today she reminded me of an amazing truth. We are princes and princesses of God and, in her words, "we are adorable!" Adorable is defined as; inspiring great affection. What greater affection can be inspired than that of our Royal Daddy?

As I was willing to accept the fact that my niece saw us as adorable princesses I realized that I am royal, adopted into a royal family, and from this day on when Kenley asks me to wear my crown I will not neglect to share with her how adorable and royal we truly are.

 
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

 

#GoatSwag Life at my house can be…

In the last several years my love for being a dad has grown so much. I have always loved it but as I have become more involved I see what I missed when my kids were younger. As Holly and I finish up the last few steps of being state certified therapeutic foster parents I think about what that means.

• First, I will be state certified and not in areas I thought I would be as a young adult, such as state certified mentally unstable
• Second, they are going to bring us more kids
• Third, I get to enjoy enjoying being a dad even more
• And fourth, wow how I have grown

Don't take that last one the wrong way, I have mostly grown out and not up. I am slightly heavier as a dad today as years gone by. I have grown in the spirit of love. This can be hard for Holly sometimes because while I have grown in many areas I am still very much one of the kids. Life at our house can be exciting, funny, silly, crazy, dangerous, and even down right wild. And that's just my part in it, add in 5 teens and it's a real nut house.

The other night with some quiet family time with our youngest, Maddy, I showed her an amazing new app on my phone that when you speak into it, it transforms your words to a rap, awesome right? So Maddy and I played (listen below). Mom even got in on the fun mainly to state the obvious. But this is what life should be like. There should be a silly switch for every dad out there. Maybe if dads were allowed to understand that working hard is good but being silly with your kids is also necessary life would be different for so many. Raising kids is not always easy but in the end it is always worth it. Remember if they can not act silly with you they will act silly in spite of you and that usually doesn't end well.

 
Psalm 126:2
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

Our Rap! #Goatswag
http://www.smule.com/p/192439782_42332803

 

Juggling too much? Are you?

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Philippians 4:5

Do you juggle too much? I do, often! I have always needed to be doing something. I work as many hours as possible, I am a full-time student, a father of five teens, attempting to bring more kids in the house as others leave, and husband to an amazing wife who is equally as busy.

The problem is there are only 24 hours in a day right? Well that is a true statement but how are you spending your 24 hours? Let’s break it down.

The average person sleeps 7.5 hours per day, leaving 16.5 hours.

The average person works 8 hours per day and travels .25 hours back and forth to work for a total of 8.5 hours leaving 8 hours.

Then there is the miscellaneous time, such has bathroom time, preparation for day, freshening up, also eating and talking with family, the average is 3 hours per day in the typical American home, leaving 5 hours.

As a full-time student I should spend a few of those doing homework each day but instead I cram it all into one or two days off…

So what is the 5 hours used for? Well sadly it’s used for screen time, usually the computer or today’s time thief, the smart phone. One may throw a walk or run into that 5 hours of free time but sadly statistics show that most people don’t interact personally anymore because they have a screen in their face, for 5 hours!

So there it is, 24 hours, one day, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds, what do you do with it?

When I feel like I am not overwhelmed with my busy day I try and add in some quiet time with God, he gets what’s left of me instead of the best of me. What a sad reality but realty still the same. I am ashamed to admit that but I have to so you all can pray for me that I reverse that thinking and give God the best part of my day and use, if any that is left over for the crap that steals my time. But if I am giving God the best, and my family the rest, would I even need those time fillers and would I feel like I am juggling too much? So ask yourself, are you juggling too much?  Are you giving Him the best of your time, and not just the rest?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Sometimes we juggle more than we can handle, ask my amazing friend, Presto

Daddy's girl

Have you ever wondered why God chose to have Jesus, a son? I have but then I deal with teen girls and it all makes sense. Maybe it’s just me and I don’t quite grasp the psyche of a 16 year old girl but, wow! When my boys get into trouble, I get grumpy, angry even, tend to want to raise my voice, and punish so they know I mean business. However; when my teen daughters get into trouble, small or big, I want to cry. I want to try and figure out how I can help them to make better decisions. I want to get and stay grumpy with them but instead I try and rationalize their behaviors and even defend them from a loving mom who gets like I get with the boys.

When looking for verses about daughters I found many but few gave much direct wisdom. I think parents in this day and age have a much harder time then those during the period of biblical writing when it comes to our girls. Sometimes I am at a loss when it comes to my girls, their feelings, their thoughts, and their idea of good taste. This is especially worrisome for me as I naturally want the best for them. While wanting the best for all my children, I think I try harder with the girls and that may be the mistake I made in raising them up to be the wife and mother I pray they want to be. 

Can I be as stern and strict with my daughters as I am with my sons?

Maybe at some point I need to step aside from controlling them and let them make their own mistakes… Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Did I do enough as a dad, that my daughters know God’s love for them, their value in His heart, the love they possess, and the treasures they are? Today I struggle with those questions, other days I have faith we are doing it right. I guess only God knows for sure and I have to believe He has a plan for them as He does for me. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11